Lead Me Not Into Temptation

[PastelBeardie]

There are only two good UVBs. The Reptisun 10.0 and the Arcadia 12%. Pet stores tend to sell Reptisuns for incredibly high prices. But here is a site where you can get them for very cheap. http://www.petmountain.com/

Excellent link, thanks! That's much cheaper than in the store.

What do I need for a beardie in a 40 gallon tank? I've been reading on line, and some say to use heat mats, and others say not to use them. I know not to use those heated rocks. Do I need a regular bulb plus a UVB bulb? What brand of timer is good and reliable?

What do you use to dust the crickets? I have calcium with D3, calcium without D3, and Repashy calcium plus, which is a vitamin and calcium supplement.

Thanks!

 

[morphmom]

Go to the enclosure section and click on 'lighting help for newbies' it's by Jess :wink:
She's very knowledgeable and makes everything clear with photos. I don't like mats myself but CHE's are amazing(mostly used for night time)
Then check out beautiful dragons nutrition chart,it's color coded and most of us swear by it.
It gets easier, this is the pain in the butt part.

 

[PastelBeardie]

Go to the enclosure section and click on 'lighting help for newbies' it's by Jess :wink:
She's very knowledgeable and makes everything clear with photos. I don't like mats myself but CHE's are amazing(mostly used for night time)
Then check out beautiful dragons nutrition chart,it's color coded and most of us swear by it.
It gets easier, this is the pain in the butt part.

Thanks so much! I hate to be a pain with newbie questions that you probably answer on a regular basis, but would much rather know all this before the animal gets here.

 

[morphmom]

Thanks so much! I hate to be a pain with newbie questions that you probably answer on a regular basis, but would much rather know all this before the animal gets here.

You're very welcome. Most of us just want to help and you'll get alot of respect by researching. I'd send links but I'm beardie smart and computer dumb! LOL! :lol:

 

[XtinaBeardieMom]

There are only two good UVBs. The Reptisun 10.0 and the Arcadia 12%. Pet stores tend to sell Reptisuns for incredibly high prices. But here is a site where you can get them for very cheap. http://www.petmountain.com/

Excellent link, thanks! That's much cheaper than in the store.

What do I need for a beardie in a 40 gallon tank? I've been reading on line, and some say to use heat mats, and others say not to use them. I know not to use those heated rocks. Do I need a regular bulb plus a UVB bulb? What brand of timer is good and reliable?

What do you use to dust the crickets? I have calcium with D3, calcium without D3, and Repashy calcium plus, which is a vitamin and calcium supplement.

Thanks!

No heat rocks, no heat mats, and no kind of night light. Yes, you'll need a regular heat/basking bulb as well as the UVB if you choose to use the linear fluorescent tube (Reptisun 10.0 or Arcadia 12%). For a 40gal tank you'll probably need anywhere from 60-100w bright white basking bulb (you can use household bulbs or special reptile bulbs, just make sure it puts off a bright white light to protect your beardie's eyes from the UVB). I would recommend getting a higher wattage bulb & putting it on a dimmer so you can control the temps precisely. If your ambient temps drop below 65 degrees at night then you'll need a ceramic heat emitter. You'll need a food dish (no water dish, beardies don't typically drink from standing water). You'll also need some kind of raised basking platform... you can use branches, stacked rocks or tile, a hammock, etc. You'll need to decide what kind of substrate you want to use; anything non-loose is fine, like paper towels, newspaper, reptile carpet, slate tile, etc. You'll probably also want to cover the back & two sides of the enclosure with some kind of background so your beardie won't get freaked out by her reflection. At least one hide is always recommended, so your beardie can get out of the UVB if she wants to. Other tank furniture is optional, but flat rocks, fake plants, & places for your beardie to lounge or climb around are nice accessories. You'll definitely need either an infrared temp gun or digital thermometer with probe if you don't have one already - other methods of reading temps are completely unreliable. As for light timers, I've used multiple kinds and they all worked but I personally recommend one of the digital ones for ease of use. Your calcium supplements will be fine to use (use the one w/D3 for the most part), but you'll need to get another multivitamin. Most members here seem to use the Rep-Cal Herptivite powder. Hope that helps, good luck!

 

[PastelBeardie]

Many thanks! I have part of that list here already.

No water dish? Do you spray them down a few times a day and let them lick it off the plants and sides?

 

[PastelBeardie]

Many thanks! I have some of those things already.

No water dish? Do you spray them down a few times a day and let them lick it off the plants and sides?

 

[TheWerewolf]

You give them daily or every other day baths. Some may hate it at first but will get used to it. The water must be warm but not warm enough to burn your inner wrist. It should be up to the shoulders or elbows. Just make sure the vent (AKA butt) is in the water as they absorb water through it. Put the baby in a high walled bin. That way once he/she learns there is no escape he/she will calm down. I think that is it. Others will post if I have missed something or got it wrong. I am still learning.

 

[morphmom]

Others will post if I have missed something or got it wrong. I am still learning.

LOL! :lol: Werewolf! We're all still learning! It's my goal to never stop learning :mrgreen:
The only thing I could add to that, would be to put down a cloth so the baby doesn't slip and slide.

 

[PastelBeardie]

LOL, thanks, you all are great!

The setup is coming together. I came in here months ago asking questions and planning to get a beardie, but ended up taking in a pair of leopard geckos that were within hours of being homeless and spent my time, energy, and money learning about them and getting them into comfortable cages. No regrets, since they are beautiful. Now that they're settled in and the reptile room is almost ready for the cresteds, I'm looking again. Maybe this time it'll happen.

 

[PastelBeardie]

The friendly little one is no longer there. She must have been sold. It's easy to see how someone would choose her. I'll keep an eye out for a rescue instead. The guy who's selling one on Craigslist wants $185 for a normal beardie he bought at Petsmart 4 months ago with what looks like a 20 gallon long tank. The store sells normals for $59.99 and has half price bearded dragon sales fairly often, so he's asking way too much, IMO.

This week I'm in the process of setting up a dubia colony, and maybe once that's going strong, it would be a good time to get a hungry beardie. Are dubia OK to feed to beardies instead of crickets? I know they're meatier and more nutritious for geckos.

 

[TheWerewolf]

Yep. They can replace crickets all together. Just dust them like crickets and follow all the same basic rules. Sorry about the baby being sold, but I'm glad you are doing all this research before you got her. And I hope whoever bought her gives her the best life.